Life-preserver.



G. KRIEGER. LIFE PRESERVER.

APPLICATION EILED NOV. 23, 1905.

PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

UNITED STATES GUSTAVE KRIEGER, OF

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LlFE-PRESERVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

:atented June 26, 1906.

Application filed November 23, 1905. Serial No. 288,768.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, GUsTAvE KRIEGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to life-preservers of the type adapted to be secured about the neck and over the shoulders of the wearer, and has for its object to provide a novel construction of preserver and a novel means for securing the same to the body of the wearer whereby the life-preserver may be securely held in place and be made to snugly embrace the body without interfering at all with the movements of the arms or head.

In the use of the various types of life-preservers it has been found that they frequently become displaced and operate to buoy up the lower part of the trunk and limbs of the wearer, permitting the head to sink below the water. In such a case the life-preserver would become a source of danger instead of a means of assisting the wearer to remain on to of the water and to hold the head out of t e same.

Aside from the novel construction of the life-preserver forming the subject of this invention, I have in view the general object of providing life-preservers which when once secured in place cannot become displaced and will always operate to maintain the head and shoulders of the wearer above the water.

I have illustrated a preferred and a modified form of the invention in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view looking at the under side of the preferred form of life-preserver. Fig. 2 shows the applicationof the same to the body and Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified construction.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 indicates the body or buoyant portion of the life-preserver, which is substantially of cylindrical form in cross-section and is made of canvas, cloth, or any other suitable fabric, filled with cork either in a solid or granular form. In order to facilitate the filling of this body portion, the ends thereof are left open and are adapted to be closed by means of buttons 2 and buttonholes 3 or in any other desired manner. The body portion 1 is shaped when placed in position to provide a central enlarged aperture 4, through which the head of the wearer can be inserted. 5 6 indicate straps for securing the life-preserver to the body of the wearer. These straps are secured at one end to the rear edge of the body 1 at points 7 and 8, removed a greater or less distance apart, and are then passed through loops 9,secured on the under side of the end portions 10 of the life-preserver, but at some distance from the extremities of said end portions. The portion of the straps between the points 7 and 8 and the loops 9 form armholes 11, through which the hands and arms are inserted, so that the straps 5 and 6 will engage beneath the arm-pits, as shown in Fig. 2. At the extremities of the end portions 10 I provide loops 12, through which the straps are passed, and after the life-preserver has been placed in position on the shoulders, as shown in said Fig. 2, by pulling on the straps 5 and 6 the life-preserver will be drawn down about the shoulders and over the breast of the wearer, so as to conform snugly to the shape of the body and present the minimum amount of inconvenience, while permitting absolute freedom of movement. The straps 5 and 6 will preferably be provided with large buttons or knot s or other equivalent means 13 to prevent their ends from being pulled through the loops 9 and 12.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified construction in which the body 1 is formed of rubber and is made air-tight, suitable means being shown, as at 14, by means of which the rubber receptacle can be inflated. In this construction rings 15 and 16 willpreferably take the place of the loops described in reference to the construction of Figs. 1 and 2.

In either construction after the straps 5 and 6 have been pulled to draw the life-preserver snugly about the body of the wearer the ends of said straps will be fastened, as by tying the same in a knot, when the life-preserver will be securely held in place.

I claim- A life-preserver comprising a flexible body of circular shape for receiving buoyant material, and having open terminals, fasteners for the respective terminals to close the same,

loops spaced from each other and connected to the exterior of the said body and adjacent In testimony whereof I have hereunto set to said terminals, and straps having one end my hand in presence of two subscribing witconnected to said body intermediate the eX- nesses.

trernities thereof, each of said straps slidable through the respective loops and the other ends being free for fastening the body to the wearer.

GUSTAVE KRIEGER. [L. s.] Witnesses:

EMIL KRIEGER, MATTHEW RILEY. 

